RIVERA KEEPS HEAD UP AS PANTHERS STRUGGLE ON THE GRIDIRON

Ron Rivera says he learned from Norv Turner never to waver. “When people start to change and start doing things beyond their beliefs,” Rivera says, “then you can almost say they are panicking.” GRANT HALVERSON • Getty Images

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Ron Rivera says he learned from Norv Turner never to waver. “When people start to change and start doing things beyond their beliefs,” Rivera says, “then you can almost say they are panicking.” GRANT HALVERSON • Getty Images

The struggling Panthers have had their lunch handed to them, but there’s no switching the menu.

“I’ve been around coaches where if you start losing they change what your meal is when you travel,” said Steve Smith, Carolina’s Pro Bowl wide receiver. “If the meal dictates if we win or lose, we are in trouble.”

If trouble loves company, the Chargers (5-8) welcome the last-place Panthers on Sunday.

Much like the wobbly Chargers, the Panthers won’t make the playoffs, and their coach, Ron Rivera, is deflecting slings and arrows, as is his Chargers counterpart, Norv Turner.

In Rivera’s second year with Carolina, things could be going finer, as its 4-9 record illustrates. Rivera, the former Chargers defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, can hear the catcalls for his Panthers scalp.

“It’s part of the job,” Rivera said. “For everything we have gone through, I’m fine. I understand this business, things that we do and things that need to happen. I understand the circumstances.”

Again, like the Chargers, the Panthers are coming off a stunning victory. During the NFL’s latest on-any-given Sunday, the Chargers upset the Steelers and the Panthers shocked the Falcons.

Is it enough to save Turner’s hide? Probably not. Is it enough to keep Rivera around another season? Maybe.

“Sometimes we hear from people that someone is on the hot seat or going to get fired,” Smith said. “And the next thing you know he gets an extension.”

That seems unlikely for Turner, and possibly Rivera.

The Panthers already have canned General Manager Marty Hurney — another Panther with Chargers ties — and reveal little patience with Rivera and his 10-19 mark.

Despite a Panthers season that includes a five-game losing streak and them dropping eight of their last 11, Rivera has stayed the course. That hasn’t gone unnoticed by Smith.

“He didn’t waver,” Smith said. “He didn’t change, which is kind of a breath of fresh air. He says what he means and means what he says, and I can respect that. I love his straightforward approach.”

One can etch a line to where Rivera’s steady resolve was fortified: Norv Turner.

“Never wavering from your beliefs,” Rivera said of Turner’s approach when things went sideways. “When people start to change and start doing things beyond their beliefs, then you can almost say they are panicking.

“But that is one thing I never saw from Coach (Turner). Believe me, he is rock solid and he has most certainly been a heckuva mentor for me.”

Turner and Rivera are between solid mass and a hard place. Detractors are eager to speculate on their dismissals in a season that has three games remaining.

Regardless how it ends for both men, Rivera has a fresh appreciation for Turner’s plight. Rivera stressed that unless you’re a head coach, observers have no clue what it’s like.

“There is a great Spanish proverb that says it’s easy to write about fighting the bull, but it’s tough to get in the bull ring and fight,” Rivera said. “Believe me, I was there when I heard it in 2010 and we were 9-7 and had some bad things happen. And you kind of feel for him.

“But now I really understand. To see who he is and the way he handles it with grace, believe me, people have no idea how much it takes, the character, to do this, and Coach Turner has exhibited that year in and year out as a coach in this league.”

The most successful coach in Rivera’s house might be Stephanie, his wife. She had a solid run as Cathedral Catholic High’s girls basketball coach, but in Charlotte, she’s leaving the Xs and Os to her husband.

She might be the only Carolinian not second-guessing him.

“No, she’s busy playing golf,” he said, with a laugh. “There are some great courses out here.”

Out here, and out there, two men are valiantly coaching for their jobs. It’s all part of this stomach-turning occupation, one that comes with heartburn no matter the entrée.